Not a Cat, Not a Brain…

Not a cat. Not a brain. Nothing.

I got all of my test results back and found out that I have…absolutely nothing. This is the way it’s been for the past 30+ years. Nothing shows up in blood work or X rays, so technically I am healthy.

My veins object to people trying to take what is theirs.

The reason I went to a doctor was to get a prescription for eye drops so that hopefully I could go back to doing computer work and painting. The insurance company, however, determined that the eye drops are “medically unnecessary”, so here I sit with no computer or paints, trying to figure out a future with limited eye usage.

Did you know there is such a thing as ocular rosacea? I didn’t.

A friend sent me a few articles on supplements that seem to help people like me who are having odd, random symptoms. Perhaps one or a combination of them might get me to a point where I can at least draw some Bitey Dogs again.

Toby seems to have an opinion on all that is going on, but he only knows how to express himself as a growling, tantrum-throwing fiend. He has attacked me three times in the past two weeks. They say God sends you the family you are supposed to have. I must have really ticked Him off at some point.

What are you looking at? Grrrr….

On an unrelated note, if you haven’t seen the movie The Miracle at Cokeville, it is a particularly uplifting story given recent events.

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Cake

Monday brought the most incredible news. Toby’s groomer said he was a good boy! He was such a good boy that she didn’t even charge me a “Dangerous Animal” fee. Everyone decided that with Toby’s weight loss, his calming medicine worked more effectively.

To be honest, I would rather be fat and feisty.

(Yes Toby did get a treat for being a good boy, but only a small one.)

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The Scan

They want to do a CAT scan of my brain to see if they find anything. I hope they find a brain! I hope they find a cat!

On Friday, I finally got to go to a doctor to get a referral to see (ha ha) an ophthalmologist. I figured while I was there, I would ask the doctor about a few other things like the dizzy spells I had in February. I mentioned that I had already updated my glasses and thought that maybe I needed to see an ENT?

No, given my cluster of seemingly unrelated symptoms, I was told that it sounds like I have something wrong with my brain, not my ears. The doctor immediately wrote out an order for me to have a CT scan. I asked her if by “wrong with my brain”, she meant tumor or disease, and she said that it seemed that a tumor was unlikely. What I described sounds like MS. Well, that was certainly not what I was expecting when I set out to get some Restasis that morning.

I went home and did some reading about MS, and it does sound like what I have been going through. I had always thought that MS was a terribly awful disease, but from the article I read it seems that if you take medication for it, you can lead a pretty normal life.

Toby has his next grooming session tomorrow, but as soon as we are done, I have a list of doctor appointments and tests that I need to schedule. While it sucks to have a disease, it would be nice if treatment could help me feel better. I want to be healthy enough to spoil my Toby as much as I can.

I could have told you there was something wrong with your brain without the scan.

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Love Train

Watch where you're going you little runt! There ain't no stoppin' the Love Train, baby!

This used to happen a lot when the boys were together. Toby would ride his peppermint backward around the room until he inevitably ran into sleeping Geordie’s face. I would say, “And a good time was had by all” but Geordie would probably bite me.

For all the romantics like Toby out there, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Toby, do you have something you want to tell me? No.

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Forgot to get your sweetest something for Valentine’s Day? Then order a custom pet portrait from my shop! Tell your loved one that you ordered it weeks ago, and it will still be a little while before the paint dries. He or she will be so happy with the results that they won’t mind the wait.

L Bowman Studios

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Happy Toby

Things are so much better with my little Toby that I had to draw some pictures of us. It’s like I have my sweet little puppy back again. We have been doing so many fun thing lately that it makes my heart hurt. I can see in his face that he feels he is finally breaking through with training me.

When we go for walks, he will stop at random places and ask for hugs. (Eeee!) He does tricks nearly as well as Geordie. (Toby is more food oriented, so a good training session to him is when he can steal at least one treat.) My folks have been teaching him to say “Ruh-ro” like Scooby Doo and swear that he has said it on at least two occasions. In the evenings, we sit on the floor while he chews on hooves. A few times he has draped his head over my leg and gone to sleep after he was done.

I am so happy to have my happy boy back with me.

Toby gets a tiny treat whenever he goes into his kennel. He insists that his toys also get a treat (which Toby kindly eats for them).

Smile, Toby. You are one loved little guy!

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Still looking for that perfect holiday gift? Than look no more! Bitey Dog and Toby are here to share their latest adventure in Dream Our World. Inside, the boy visit the museum of their dreams and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.

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Ghost Rider

So h ow come you haven't drawn yourself like this so far? Are you kidding? I get enough grief over my weird eyes and my wonky knees. I can just imagine what folks would say about this. Mom! Mom! Here's a list of them who done me wrong so you can exact revenge on 'em!

Dogs offer commentary on their mom's condition.

Lemme guess. Does it involve me wearing a paper bag? Maybe...? Where's your motorcycle? Outside?

You would think that masks would have been my friends this past year, hiding my appearance from inquiring eyes. On the contrary. If you’ve ever wondered what that stuff feels like, it is like one of those horribly painful sunburns where even the softest silk feels like sandpaper against your skin – where simply moving is agony – where you absolutely positively do not want some smart aleck little brother to come along and slap you for the sheer enjoyment of your misery. Trying to wear a raspy mask over psoriasis is actually quite painful.

No, that is too good. Pull some fibers on this part so Americans' noses itch. Then they'll have to scratch and will give themselves the flu. Mwahaha!

Despite how much this looks exactly like one of my drawings, it is actually borrowed from the internet.

Americans are very polite about something like this. Nobody pointed at me and shouted, “Eww, that’s grody to the max!” In fact, they said nothing. If I brought up my appearance, though, they would jump in with tons of questions and healthy curiosity. Speaking as the resident weirdo, insults aren’t nice, but saying “Hey, what happened?” is perfectly fine. It’s OK to ask questions. The elephant in the room knows it’s there.

Getting to wear my unique gift from God on my face has made things harder when it comes to business. It is difficult to approach people with confidence and try to introduce them to my work. It is also more difficult to get a service sector job where you are the face of a business. While no one will admit that “fugly” is the reason for not hiring you, you will simply find that someone else always gets the job.

Have I tried medical care for dealing with this condition? Yes. The doctor charged me $300 for a 5 min consultation. Her advice? Hydrocortisone. Mmm hmm…Yup, I am definitely in the wrong line of work.

At least Real Life Toby doesn’t care about how I look.

Mom, mostly I look at you from this angle, and all I see is up your broken nose.

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Royal Purple Velvet Pillows are now back in stock! These 10″ pillows would make a wonderful gift for the whimsical child in your life – or the whimsical child inside yourself! Each pillow is trimmed with gold braid and has a silky tassel at each corner. The center is secured by two matching fabric buttons which give the pillow a pleasingly plump look.

These pillows and other fine gifts are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios. All items are made in America and ready to ship.

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Black and Whitey Dog

When the pencils are gone, this will be the new normal.

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Coming soon: How to Train an Incorrigible, Determined, Intelligent Terrier

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While the Bitey World still has color, consider adding some bright sweaters to your home!

Teddy bear next to green and white layette set.

Boy's Purple and Blue Argyle Sweater Vest

These sweaters and more are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

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Panic Shopping

I thought you said we weren't going to do any panic buying.

I'm just stocking up on a few necessities before prices go up. What about all that crap you guys got?

What do you mean, crap? Everything "puppy" is a necessity.

OK, so I may have gone a little overboard with cocoa. If the end of the world is coming, though, that is definitely something you don’t want to be without.

As long as there are toys at the end of the world, I’ll be good.

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Toby Goes to Walmart

It wasn’t me. The pumpkin tooted.

Totally unrelated to Toby’s tooting, I recently saw an ad for Windows 11 and thought I would read a little about it. Turns out that “older computers might not be compatible with the upgrade”. Oops, I guess you’ll just have to get a new computer. Hmmm, what genius came up with this idea? Electronics are about as rare as unicorns these days. Will new computers just float across the Pacific and land in our stores? With the cost of food and fuel skyrocketing, who has hundreds or thousands to shell out for a new computer?

In my neighborhood, you can’t find canned pumpkin. The only vegetable in the store freezers is broccoli. A neighbor is trying to get his lawn mower fixed, but he can’t due to a parts shortage. The last thing Americans need is to worry about a new computer. I’m more concerned about food…and toothpaste. (And kibble! – Toby)

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Want to get your Christmas shopping done before there is nothing left to buy? Then come visit my store at L Bowman Studios. There are gifts for the whole family – in stock – ready to buy!